The Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Senator Aisha Alhassan was the cynosure of all eyes as President Muhammadu Buhari presided over today’s Federal Executive Council meeting in Abuja.
It is the second time the president would be presiding over the meeting since his arrival from a medical vacation in London on August 19.
However, before the commencement of the meeting which had in attendance, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, photo journalists covering the Presidential Villa focused attention on Alhassan.
They clicked away with camera focused on her, giving her the status of a super celebrity.
It was the first time the minister was seen at a meeting with Buhari after her comment that she would rather vote for former Vice President Atiku Abubakar than Buhari in 2019 for the presidency.
It would be recalled that in the past two weeks, Alhassan had been involved in a controversy over her state of loyalty to the president.
The controversy was sparked off by her comment during her Eid-el-Kabir visit to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.
During the visit, she expressed her wish for the emergence of Atiku Abubakar as the next president in 2019.
Her remark was against the backdrop that the former vice president was still nursing a presidential ambition.
Believed to be a sign of disloyalty on the part of the minister to the president, some of those loyal to the president had canvassed for her sack or resignation.
Alhassan has however not denied her statement.
Even in an interview with the British Broadcasting Corporation, BBC, she said she would vote for Atiku Abubakar in 2019 in a presidential race against Buhari
Prominent among her critics were Kano State governor, Nasir el-Rufai and Ogun State governor, Ibikunle Amosun.
While el-Rufai said it was obvious she was not loyal to the president, Amosun said it would be most honourable for her to resign.
Said Amosun: “The minister is entitled to her opinion; but I would have saluted her if she had resigned her appointment because she cannot blow hot and cold at the same time.”
